Forged Evidence
by wd50
Summary: Phoenix's petition for a trial jurist case was ultimately rejected, and Edgeworth's patience finally wore through. If Phoenix won't get the justice he deserves, he would have to settle for the next best thing, revenge, against the man who took his badge away. Edgeworth would make sure of it. For that, Phoenix's new apprentice might come in handy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Takes place after the 3rd case of AJ (July 7th), and before the last case (October 6th). AU, assumes Wright didn't succeed in advocating for the Jurist system and didn't get a trial case.

Edgeworth finally decided to take matters into his own hands. For all of Manfred Von Karma's teachings he rejected, Edgeworth still believes revenge is Justice.

Apollo/Klavier Gavin, though I hesitate to call it a relationship.

Will eventually be Wright/Edgeworth.

Rated PG for now, will go up to M in the next couple of chapters.

* * *

 **Chief Prosecutor's Office**

 **September 17, 7:17 AM**

"Ch-Chief Prosecutor, sir? You wanted to see me sir?" Apollo was sweating bullets. Sure he always talked big, but it's not every day a greenhorn lawyer with barely three cases under his belt was called in by the Chief Prosecutor.

"Apollo Justice, yes? Come in. Close the door behind you if you please."

"Yes sir! I'm fine sir! Thank you for asking sir!" Apollo blurted out, turning beet red when he realized the question had never been asked.

The man opposite him looked faintly amused, if that fraction of a smile was actually an indication of amusement. "How do you do, Mr. Justice."

"Fine! Sir!" The answer was really a reflex. Defying all limitations of the human body, Apollo reddened even more. Gathering whatever little wits left, he decided to change the subject. "You asked to see me, sir?"

"Despite what you may have heard, Mr Justice, I do not bite." The Chief Prosecutor chuckled once, "The reason I requested your service has to do with your upcoming case."

"The Millard case, sir?" Apollo confirmed.

"Yes. Prosecutor Gavin is leading the investigation and there has been rumors..." There was a pregnant pause, Apollo didn't have time to figure out what it meant before the man continued. "I have utmost faith in all evidence Prosecutor Gavin presents, but I do need you to question it during your upcoming trial so he could provide the necessary justifications. Especially the murder weapon."

It would sound too forced, almost suspiciously so, if Gavin defended his evidence without being challenged, Apollo understood. So basically the man is telling him Gavin laid a trap, and he needs to walk right into it. Is this what goes on behind closed doors in the Chief Prosecutor's office? Actually, it's not nearly as bad as people say.

"Yes sir," Apollo nodded reluctantly, the two antennae he calls hair drooped down unhappily, like the case isn't hard enough for him already. An armed robbery gone wrong, the defendant Joey Millard was seen robbing a convenience store, fled the scene, and was caught in his apartment half-an-hour later with the money still in his bag. Apollo will just have to work even harder and power through! He always does. "I'll make sure to examine the murder weapon closely."

"Thank you Mr. Justice."

Apollo saw his cue and moved towards the door.

"One last thing, Mr. Justice."

Apollo turned back, he noticed a flash of green, a piece of jade that the Chief Prosecutor was rotating between his fingers in a single fluid motion. Come to think of it, he might have seen something like that on Mr. Wright. Is it like an old lawyer thing?

"Your mentor is Phoenix Wright, is it not?" It still felt strange to have His name leave his tongue, and have somebody else hear it.

"Yes, sir." Apollo nodded, apparently everybody thinks so now and he had given up trying to correct them.

"And you would defend him if necessary?"

"Of course!" Apollo replied, alarmed.

"Whatever it takes?"

"Whatever it takes!" Sure, Mr. Wright is a secretive, manipulative jerk who discusses his daughter's panties with a man he just met, but deep down, he's a good person. Deep, deep down. "Is he charged with something?"

 _No psych locks._

"No. You may go Mr. Justice."

"But-" Apollo wanted to ask more.

"You may go, Mr. Justice."

The younger lawyer reluctantly headed to his case, his mind now enthralled with the mysteries surrounding Phoenix Wright.

 **In front of the Court Room Building,**

 **September 17, 7:28AM**

"Thank you, Trucy. I do not think I shall have need for it in the near future." Edgeworth handed the Magatama back.

"No problem, Mr. Edgeworth." Trucy smiled brightly, "I'll hide it back in Daddy's dresser, he'll just think he misplaced it again."

Wright's mental state was beginning to worry him.

"How is he doing?"

"Daddy's okay, I think." Trucy tilted her head, recalling Wright's latest misadventure, "He didn't break anything, so that's always good. Are you sure you don't want to come over?"

"No." Not while that cursed stone is in Wright's possession, he can't find out what Edgeworth has been up to. Wright had always upheld the law, almost to the letter. But there's a time for law, and there's a time for justice. Wright tried it his way, it didn't work. Now it's time to change things up. Edgeworth spaced out for a second, 'change things up', that's the sort of thing Wright would have said, seven years ago.

"I could hide the Magatama again so Daddy wouldn't have it when you see him." Trucy had a mischievous grin that made even Edgeworth uncomfortable.

Curses, this girl had a gift in reading people, _and_ she was holding that stone. Still...

"If you succeed, I will stop by later."

 **Courtroom 2,**

 **September 17, 11:22AM**

 ** _Take_ _That!_**

An average-looking butcher knife appeared on screen for the court to see, stained with a rust-red.

"Even though Herr Forehead had battled valiantly for the defendant, I'm afraid the Prosecution has definitive proof, the murder weapon."

Klavir Gavin shook his head, long locks of blond hair tumbled down gracefully and crashed against his collarbone, at least half of the peanut gallery was his fangirls, the volume of their collective squeals could rival Apollo's Chords of Steel.

Apollo found himself a little jealous, he shook his head too, only to have one of his two well-gelled antenna fall flat against his face. He blew at it, and it stood back up, wavering only slightly in the breeze generated by the courtroom ventilation system.

"The knife is one of a set of knives belonging to the defendant, it was found under the bed with the defendant's fingerprint. The blade matches the wound perfectly."

 **Objection!**

"S-so what? His knife would obviously have his fingerprints. And it's not a special weapon, there're probably a lot of knives just like it out there!" Apollo pounded both fists on the table for emphasis, but the case was beginning to look worse and worse for his client.

"But those knives wouldn't have the victim's blood on the tip, ja?" Klavier leaned forward with a picture perfect smile.

Apollo distinctly heard shouts of 'we love you Klavier!" from the gallery and that certainly did not help his case. Question the weapon, he remembered the request from earlier that morning, right, question the weapon, like he has a choice. If the weapon is accepted at face value, his case is over.

"This certainly does not look good for the defense. Mr. Justice, do you have anything to add?" The Judge commented.

"Yes Your Honor." Apollo straightened up and nodded. "Prosecutor Gavin, you told the court this knife was found under the bed of the defendant? But there were thirty-five minutes between the crime and the time of my client's arrest, at his home. Are you claiming he knew the knife was there, but happened to forget to clean the murder weapon?"

"That doesn't seem very likely." The Judge was easily swayed yet again.

"You'll find, Herr Forehead, murderer are not usually smart people. Most murderers plan meticulously before a crime, but fail to consider the clean-up afterwards. That's why I always get them!"

 **Objection!**

"Baseless conjecture!"

"Very well. Let's ask your client then, shall we?" Klavier smiled again, Apollo swore he saw Gavin's blue eyes twinkle.

"Mr. Millard." Klavier addressed the middle-aged man in the defendant's box without calling him to the witness stand. "You were here listening to the trial since the very beginning, so I will give you a chance to decide."

"Wait! Decide what?" Apollo was so startled he forgot to use 'Objection'.

"The Prosecution is offering a plea bargain. The Defendant may plead guilty now, and get 17 years for armed robbery and manslaughter. Or wait till the end of the trial, and be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law."

Klavier Gavin banged his fist on the wooden panel behind him.

"Now choose!"

"I-" The Defendant, Joey Millard, stuttered, "I p-plead, guilty."

"Wait! Joey! Are you sure you want to do this!" Apollo clawed the defense bench, trying in vain to climb over it to get to his client, so stunned that he forgot entirely about the door. "If you're innocent, we can prove it! I know things look bad, but we'll pull through! I gave you my word and-"

"I would request the Defense to stop badgering the Defendant." Klavier said with a triumphant smirk.

"Hey, that's my line!" The Judge protested. "Though I honestly don't think I have ever said something like that."

"Joey! Think about it! You don't want to throw your life away on something you didn't do!"

"The Defendant has full rights to decide on his own plea, regardless of the opinion of his attorney."

"I'm afraid that is correct, Mr. Justice." The Judge announced, "I now pronounce the Defendant-"

 **Objection!**

Apollo shouted. At a time of crisis, squeals of fangirls from the gallery can't hold a candle to his Chords of Steel.

"Overruled." The Judge shook his head. "Unless you have some evidence you haven't shown to the court Mr. Justice, I'm afraid this trial is over."

 **Prosecutor's Office, in front of Room 1202**

 **September 17, 2:24PM**

"Did you consider knocking or was your sole purpose in coming here to wear a hole in my carpet, Mr. Justice?" Miles Edgeworth came out of his office, in front of which Apollo Justice had been pacing for the past fifteen minutes.

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir!" Apollo stood at attention, even his antennae pointed straight up, "I wanted to speak to you, about today's trial."

Edgeworth didn't need over a decade of experience as a lawyer to see Apollo's horror in confronting him, but the kid's voice was firm and his gaze never left the Chief Prosecutor. No wonder he reminded him of Wright.

"What would you like to say, Mr. Justice?"

"Huh? Just like that?" Apollo recoiled back as through running away from an expected attack. "Oh, right! About the trial today! I don't think Prosecutor Gavin should have offered my client a plea bargain during the trial."

"As the lead Prosecutor in the case, it's within his rights." Edgeworth replied smoothly.

"Joey shouldn't have been declared guilty!"

"Sometimes the accused will be guilty, Mr. Justice."

"But there're so many things we don't know still! Like," Apollo stuttered, "Like that money he stole. The cashier said $2000 was missing, but we only found $720."

"The cashier had been stealing from the till for months, she saw a chance and blamed it on your client."

"How can we be sure?"

"She had confessed the details of her crimes in exchange for not being charged."

"What about the witness who claim to have seen him, but couldn't even say what he was wearing?"

"Ah, Mr. Oldham. He had held a grudge against the Defendant for years. Another witness testified to seeing Mr. Oldham away from the scene during the time of the crime, I'm confident he faked the testimony."

'But the knife! Why didn't he wash the knife when he had the time?" Apollo protested.

"I'm afraid it's just like Prosecutor Gavin said, people make mistakes." Edgeworth replied dismissively. "Now Mr. Justice, I believe you should seek out your ex-client to satiate your curiosity instead.

Edgeworth went back into his office and closed the door, quite pleased with his own performance, each explanation to Apollo Justice's question was more suspect than the last. He might have been less convincing than Gumshoe.

Witness testimony, though given a similar weight in a court of law, is always the least reliable of all evidence. Offering only witness testimony to justify Prosecutor Gavin's decision would only fan the flames, after all, Edgeworth had always had a reputation for tampering with evidence. His defense of another Prosecutor would be more effective than a smear campaign. Edgeworth didn't mind dragging his own reputation through the mud again, as long as Klavier Gavin went along for the ride.

Oh Joey Millard was guilty of course. The cashier's testimony was confirmed by closely going over weeks of surveillance video prior to the crime. The witness' location was established using the GPS tracker on his phone, while he was making a phone call. But that information was not available to the public, or even to his fellow prosecutors, so rumors will only grow.

Even the knife was genuine, according to Detective Gumshoe. While Edgeworth had no faith in the detective's detective skills, he has no doubt as to the man's honesty. On the other hand, when he inspected the morgue with Klavier Gavin, he made a post-mortem incision on the body of the victim. Not large enough to be obvious, but enough to bleed. It bled enough to stain the sheets a little and, for example, contaminate a butcher knife and declare it the murder weapon. Not that it was necessary, not that anybody would believe otherwise.

This wouldn't bring anybody down, a post mortem wound might have been incurred due to a number of reasons, but this is only the beginning.

Seven years, Wright had fought to amend their justice system, forgoing even the fight to get his badge back. Forgiving, even forgetting the man who took his badge away in the first place.

Edgeworth doesn't plan on being as generous.

* * *

A/N:

More will be revealed next chapter as to what happened in the last 7 years, why everybody did what they did, and what Edgeworth's plans are etc.

Thank you for reading, please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

I have more or less decided on the plot, though like most of my stories, I decided on the ending before knowing how to get there. Also, this story has taken a significantly different turn and might not end up M rated after all. Will write that content in a different story. :D

* * *

 **September 17, 5:09PM**

 **Criminal Affairs Department  
**

"Detective Gumshoe." Edgeworth nodded at the detective leaving the building with his full set of 'secret weapons'.

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir." Gumshoe stopped and saluted. Dropping the metal detector and the fishing rod as a result, while the police dog Missiles freed itself from the leash.

"New case?" Edgeworth grabbed Missiles before he ran off, holding the dog at arm's length so it would stop pawing at his cravat.

"Prosecutor Gavin's case." Gumshoe gratefully took Missile back, "He took all the cases that came up this week. I'm worried about him, sir, I think he's still upset about his brother."

"Yes." Edgeworth gave his detected a lopsided smile, " _Pity._ "

Pity that princess is throwing a tantrum, pity the defendants who would undoubtedly be faced with an irritated, sleep-deprived prosecutor, pity the court system for paying for what would clearly be subpar research by an (needlessly) overworked prosecutor. Pity the state of the justice system.

"Anyway, Maggie's supposed to be there too," Gumshoe grinned, scratching the back of his head, "She was working at the coffee shop across the street and saw the whole thing.'

Knowing Maggie's luck, this case just got a lot more interesting. That should keep Gavin busy until he speaks to Him, Edgeworth smiled sincerely this time.

"Thank you Detective. Good night."

* * *

 **September 17, 6:15PM**

 **Detention Center**

 **Visitor's Lounge**

"I can't believe he actually did it!" Apollo's Chord of Steel rang throughout the detention center scaring quite a few prisoners and one guard. "I can't believe he actually killed the man!"

"You didn't know..." Trucy tried her best to comfort him. She reached out of pet his hair, grimacing when she was rewarded with a handful of hair gel.

They had just spoke to Joey Millard, and both of their psychic senses had told them quite clearly that Millard was telling the truth when he confessed to his crime.

"I defended a killer!" Apollo ignored her, hiding his face in his hands, "I defended a killer!"

"Hey, even criminals need defense attorneys." Trucy argued. She had taken on a slightly different view of the justice system than Daddy. "The job of a lawyer is to present the case in a light that's most favorable for his client, the job of the Prosecution is to do the opposite. So that way, when both sides do their job, we get the complete picture."

"But I didn't know he did it!" Apollo protested, "He told me he wasn't a killer and I believed him!"

"He did honestly think it was the truth." Trucy tied again.

"He didn't think he was a killer because he killed a man by accident. That's still murder!" Apollo paused, taking a deep breath that seemed long overdue. "Maybe Gavin was right, I'm not good at this. Maybe I wasn't supposed to be a lawyer at all."

"Don't listen to a word that blond bimbo says!" Trucy hissed vehemently.

Daddy had tried to protect her by telling her as little as he could about the trial that took away her biological father and took her Daddy's badge. Moron that she was, she didn't even think to question it until Uncle Miles told her the truth earlier this year. To think, she was actually a Gavinnier's fan! A fan of the man who ruined the lives of the two people she cared about most in this world!

"Trucy..." Apollo said apologetically, he had forgotten Gavin was the Prosecutor who had taken Mr. Wright's badge away, that must be a sore spot.

"Don't patronize me!" Trucy's eyes burned with a flame that reminded Apollo of tapes of Mr. Wright's old trials.

"Tell me, Apollo, what do you know about Daddy's last trial?"

"Ugh," Apollo stuttered, but seeing the determination in Trucy's eyes, he continued.

"Mr. Wright presented the last page of a diary to prove that his client had no motive for murder. Prosecutor Gavin accused Mr. Wright of producing false evidence in court. The forger testified in court that Mr. Wright had hired him."

 **Hold it!**

"Exactly what did the forger say?" Trucy pressed.

"That Mr. Wright paid him $100,000 to forge the last page of the diary." Apollo suddenly stopped as his eyes widened.

"Exactly. The man who commissioned the forgery had paid $100,000, that alone is proof it couldn't have been Daddy!" Trucy pouted, her forcefulness dissipating, "Half of his cases were pro bono, and the richest client he had was the one case he lost, on purpose!"

"Right," Apollo remembered back to the Matt Engarde case, he rewatched it several times and thought most of Mr. Wright's arguments were ingenious, if stretched a little thin.

"If you can figure it out in thirty seconds, do you really think Prosecutor Gavin couldn't figure it out? Or did he not want to!"

"What, which do you think it is?" Apollo asked hesitantly. While Gavin stood on the other side of the courtroom, he always felt the man was trustworthy.

"I don't know." Trucy replied, her eyes looked a little red. "But I was the one who handed that piece of paper to Daddy, so I will be the one to clear his name!"

" _You_!"

Trucy nodded, she looked like she was about to cry.

"You were barely ten years old at the time," Apollo quickly amended, "You couldn't have known."

"Would you help me, Apollo?" Trucy acted like she didn't hear him, "To find the truth behind this case?"

"Yeah, of course!" He would have said yes to anything when she looked at him like that.

"I always wondered if that piece of paper was drugged with something, and that's why Daddy was so off in the second half of the case. Maybe we can start there."

* * *

 **September 17, 10:58PM**

 **Wright's Talent Agency**

 **Front Door**

Edgeworth waited exactly 30 seconds after ringing the doorbell before fishing out a key from under the mat and letting himself in. That man had left the hospital in the morning after he heard about the council's decision to deny the proposed trial by jury case. Wright's apartment was messy as usual, emitting a suspicious smell that distinctly reminded him of that one case at the zoo. It's a miracle Wright can bring up a teenager in here.

He picked his way through Wright's piles of.. possessions, careful to avoid empty bottles littering the floor, and found the man passed out in front of his desk, drooling onto the well-used wooden surface. Edgeworth lamented over the 'water'-stained case files he used to receive. Now free of the disguises he put on for the public, Wright just looked worn out, like his favorite blue jacket that he used to wear for every case until it fell apart at the seams.

"Wha-?" Guarded even in his sleep, Wright woke up enough to notice an intruder and greeted him with a carefree smile, his daily dejected-hobo mask, which he quickly slipped off again at recognizing Edgeworth. "Miles, what brings you here?" His dark blue eyes regained focus, looking no different than the man that stood on the opposite side of the courtroom all those years ago. The saddest thing is, Wright's become so good at his disguises Edgeworth can't tell if that's another mask anymore. Or maybe he just didn't want to.

Edgeworth pressed the bottle he brought into Wright's face wordlessly.

Pheonix looked furtively around the apartment.

"Trucy said she has a performance tonight, Apollo went with her." Edgeworth explained.

"Chardoney, 2004?" Pheonix grabbed the bottle immediately, reading off the year on the label, "What's the occasion?"

"If you were going to die of liver failure, it might as well be from better _grape juice_ ," Edgeworth replied, regaining a bit of his usual sting.

"That might get me first," Wright pointed to several cartons of opened Eldoon's Noodles sitting on the side of the desk, "They'll do delivery if you ask for extra salt."

"Guaranteed high blood pressure in three years or your money back." Edgeworth managed a thin smile. "I should speak to Trucy so she stops letting you eat there."

"Objecti-" Pheonix said out of sheer habit before both of them froze.

"You know I can get your badge back." Edgeworth said after what felt like an eternity for the both of them, beginning a conversation they both knew all too well. "Even now we can still demand a retrial."

"You know it doesn't make a difference." Phoenix replied. "In a bench trial, a lawyer's reputation is everything. If the judges believe I forged the evidence in my cases, they would never award another case in my favor."

"Then come to Europe." Edgeworth persisted like he always does. "You'd have no problem building a practice there with your skill and experience."

"What about the next lawyer? Or the one after that? Our justice system is broken, you should know that better than anybody. I can't move on and pretend nothing ever happened."

"You're up against almost impossible odds."

"I'm used to it." Phoenix laughed, then his expression grew solemn. "You fight for the truth, Miles, so you should understand my fight for justice. No matter what the cost may be."

Even if that cost is seven of the best years of your life.

"In that case, presentations of alcohol intoxication may not be in your favor."

Phoenix's hand froze, then pushed away the bottle Edgeworth brought, reaching instead for one under his desk.

" _Actual_ grape juice then." He chuckled, handing a bottle to Edgeworth.

'Non-alcoholic sparkling wine', that has to be one of the most redundant inventions in the world. Each descriptor is an insult to the object which it describes.

"We'll celebrate with the real thing when the time comes." Phoenix added.

Edgeworth accepted the drink and winced at the artificial grape flavor. Fermented or not, Wright definitely needs better grape juice.

"So what's this I hear about you digging through Prosecutor Gavin's cases?" Phoenix asked casually.

"Don't. Wright." Edgeworth warned. "Just don't."

"He was just doing his job." Phoenix dismissed.

Edgeworth opened the bottle he brought and poured himself a glass, ignoring Phoenix's longing look. They've had this argument time and time again, he didn't want to repeat it today. Not today.

Prosecutor Gavin must have seen the contradictions in the available evidence during Wright's case, but he purposely ignored all irregularities in order to condemn an innocent man and make his name by defeating the undefeated 'Phoenix Wright'. Perhaps he didn't pull the trigger, but he certainly didn't stop the trigger from being pulled. If a surgeon removed somebody's kidney instead of spleen on the operating table because 'he listened to his brother'. Professional responsibility doesn't disappear simply because one happens to have a brother.

But as Phoenix had pointed out during their first argument, there is a thin line between oversight and misconduct, they just happen to disagree on where Gavin lies, and Pheonix had better things to do than arguing over technicalities. The entire justice system needed an overhaul, and Phoenix insisted his own case was just a side note.

And Edgeworth wasn't about to have that argument with Phoenix again. Not today.

So he swirled his glass of 2004 vintage Merlot in front of Phoenix's eager eyes, and downed it to be detoxified by a healthy liver.

* * *

 **A/N:** So this is my (partial) explanation of the seven years. A retrial will probably give Phoenix his badge back, but in a bench trial (one where the trial is decided entirely by the judge), if he gets a reputation for evidence tampering, he'd lose his cases anyways. Plus, fighting for justice means Phoenix can't get his badge back and ignore the problem with the system.


End file.
